How to Reattach Plastic Laminate Countertop Edging

The adhesive holding the edge banding on plastic laminate countertops can come loose over time, making it easy to break the brittle material if it’s not repaired promptly.

Start by trying to reactivate the old adhesive, here’s how to go about it.

How to reactivate plastic laminate adhesive:

1. 1. Place a cloth over the edging.

1. 1. Use a household clothes iron on the cloth to heat the edging while pressing firmly.

1. Allow the surface to cool, then test to see if the edging is attached.

If heating the adhesive doesn’t work, you’ll have reglue the laminate with contact cement. As the name implies, contact cement bonds two surfaces together on contact. Here’s how to go about it.

How to reglue plastic laminate edging:

1. 1. Carefully pull the laminate edging away from the countertop without breaking it.

1. 1. Apply a thin coat of contact cement to both the laminate edging and the countertop.

1. 1. Use a pencil or Popsicle stick to keep the two surfaces from touching for 15-30 minutes while the cement dries.

1. 1. After the sheen on the cement has become dull, carefully align and join the two surfaces together.

1. Use a roller or block of wood to firmly press the edge banding to the countertop.

Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Homeowner’s Guide to Glue (article)
• Hide or Repair Scratches in Plastic Laminate Countertops (article)
• Installing Plastic Laminate Countertops (video)

VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
Danny Lipford: Lori-anne is asking, “One of the edges of our laminate countertops is loose. How can I reattach it?”

If you have any edging on your plastic laminate countertop that’s come loose, I would suggest fixing it as soon as possible. Now, it may be very easy by reactivating the glue by putting a cloth over it and using a regular household iron to heat up the piece of countertop. And that may be all that’s necessary.

If not, you may have to go to a very unique type of adhesive called contact cement. Now, usually a small bottle—like this—will have a brush already built in. And you’ll have to apply the contact cement to both surfaces, and here’s where it gets unique.

You want to make sure you keep those surfaces apart by using either a wooden pencil, or maybe a Popsicle stick, so that they’re not touching for 15 to 30 minutes until the contact cement glosses over.

Then you can bond them together, but once you put those two surfaces together, there’s no adjustment.